Charles Stillman rented this house in 1851– 1853 to serve as his first place of residence upon his marriage to Elizabeth Goodrich. The central-hall dwelling, with Greek Revival porch and high brick parapets at its gabled ends, denotes outside architectural influences in Brownsville. Its detached siting and front yard made it a hallmark for other residences in the city. Purchased in 1858 by the Mexican consul in Brownsville, Don Manuel Treviño de los Santos Coy, the house is reputed to be the site where Porfirio Díaz planned his ascendancy to the Mexican presidency in the 1870s. Purchased by the Stillman family in 1958, it was restored as a house museum in 1961 (A. H. Woolridge), heralding a set of preservation projects in the city.